Mind the Track

Imagine being the mayor of a mountain town during the height of COVID. For Dave Polivy, owner of Tahoe Mountain Sports, being a COVID mayor became his reality after being elected onto Truckee town council in 2018. For better or worse, Dave’s tenure during COVID cemented his nickname in the community as “Mayor Dave”, even though he’s no longer mayor. He’s also Kurt’s doppelganger, giving him another nickname; “Doppelganger Dave”. In Episode 71, we chat with Dave about how he landed in Truckee on September 11, 2001, and his path to business ownership, community building, keeping the ski bum dream alive and eventual mayorship. Dave has appeared on a lot of radio and TV shows, as well as podcasts, but usually he just ends up being a sound bite. But in this near two-hour episode, listeners will get a behind-the-curtain look at what it takes to be an elected official in a mountain town facing growing pains and an identity crisis, all while balancing family, business ownership, and of course, getting outside and putting his mind in the track.   2:30 – Trail Whisperer recaps his 4,200-mile cross-country drive from Boston to Reno.6:00 – Introducing Dave Polivy – former mayor of Truckee and owner of Tahoe Mountain Sports.9:15 – Doing the Rose to Toads mountain bike ride, a fundraiser for TAMBA.12:40 – Dave’s September 11, 2001 story.14:20 – Kurt’s September 11, 2001 story.16:10 – Tom’s September 11, 2001 story.17:30 – Dave arriving in Truckee after driving cross-country from Saratoga Springs, NY.19:14 – Starting Tahoe Mountain Sports in 2003.26:00 – Moving to Truckee from the northeast to be a ski bum.30:50 – Fondest memories of Truckee back in the early 2000s.33:45 – Going from ski bum to politician through working for Sierra Business Council.41:20 – As Truckee mayor, did you ever have to make a decision that went against the wishes of the community?45:05 – Is there such a thing as affordable housing? Is there enough of it in Truckee currently?47:30 – Getting foreclosed on in 2008 while on vacation outside the country.49:00 – A shortage of availability of living wage housing. There’s enough housing stock, but they aren’t available, so the Lease to Locals program was developed and it’s working.1:00:10 – Can Truckee solve its housing issues by emulating the funds the town has raised for recreational trails through ballot measures?1:08:05 – Raising funds for trails through sales tax and giving non-profits money to build them.1:15:07 – How do you promote Truckee as a mountain bike destination when most of the trails are illegal?1:21:13 – What kind of conflict exists between being a business owner and a politician?1:32:20 – Being mayor of Truckee during COVID helped solidify the persona of “Mayor Dave”.1:34:15 – What is your vision for how Truckee will look in 10 years?1:44:00 – Dave and Kurt are doppelgangers – people mistake both of them as the other person.1:50:10 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?

In Part II of the Cosbey Chronicles, Uncle Coz recounts more boat adventures, working for Raul Gardini – the richest man in Italy – and his Americas Cup team, building the very first carbon composite racing boats, and after a brief stint working in Japan, returning to the US to work on the AmericaOne team. We dive into Marc’s love for music, seeing iconic bands in the 1970s like Zeppelin, Marley, The Who, Van Halen, The Doors, Pink Floyd and, of course, the Grateful Dead. Cosbey’s most memorable show? Midnight Oil in Australia. Tom and Coz discover they were at the same Dead shows together, and Coz opens up about relationships, living simple and free on his terms, riding on the backs of manta rays deep in the Pacific Ocean and almost drowning while bodysurfing The Wedge in Newport Beach. 3:00 – Wrong number call-in to the Core Lord hotline regarding religious exemption.7:45 – Introducing Part II of the Downieville interview with Marc Cosbey.13:30 – Working for Raul Gardini, the richest man in Italy on his boat racing team, the first carbon composite Americas Cup boats for racing San Diego in 1991.23:35 – Got hired onto a Japanese Americas Cup team in 1995 and taught them the craft.24:25 – Discovering a caretaker’s job at Gold Lake in the Lakes Basin of Plumas County.27:38 – Going back to an American team out of San Francisco – America One.31:00 – If you could live in a different country, where would you live? New Zealand.33:50 – All about music. Seeing live bands all over the world – Zeppelin, Marley, The Who, Van Halen, The Doors, Pink Floyd, Grateful Dead.37:40 – Calling a drug hotline high on drugs to ask if he should go see Deep Purple and Black Sabbath.39:58 – What was the most memorable show you’ve ever seen? Midnight Oil in Australia.42:10 – What’s the difference between Australians and New Zealanders?43:49 – Second most memorable show he’s ever seen – Carlos Santana at a bull ring in Tijuana.44:45 – Some Grateful Dead show stories – Coz and Tom discover they were at the same show.50:00 – Cosbey’s love life, never getting married and not having pets – flying solo and keeping things simple.52:20 – Trail Whisperer’s story about chasing a loose dog running on the highway.54:48 – Cosbey thinks time is going faster, the planet is accelerating. How do you slow time down?57:30 – Almost drowning at The Wedge in Newport Beach in the early 1970s.1:01:47 – Do you feel like you still need to chase adventure or do you feel content?1:04:00 – Helping a friend learn to build a boat, then sailing the Sea of Cortez, Baja Mexico.1:06:40 – Sailing to seamounts in the Pacific, an underwater volcano that comes within 100 feet of the sea surface. A refuge for aquatic life.1:09:00 – Riding on the back of a massive manta ray.1:11:25 – If you were an animal, what would you be?

For the third August in a row, heavy rain has blessed the northern Sierra Nevada. Amidst the best brown pow cycle of the summer, on episode 69, Pow Bot and Trail Whisperer froth over the fresh rainfall while burners out on the playa get mud plugged and hit with haboobs. TW also froths over his new Ibis Ripley and PB over his recent progress on the wing foil. Other topics include Old Farmer’s Almanac predictions on winter, differing opinions on vacationing in Santa Cruz, the expense of bike racks, and on a musical note, The Scientist’s dub reggae, St. Vincent and seeing Collie Buddz live at The Hangar in South Lake Tahoe. The boys also Dope or Derp Mariachi bands, wearing a shammy and tailgate pads while DOUBLE DOPEing ski straps and plastic grocery baskets as gear carriers. 3:00 – Best riding conditions of the summer in Lake Tahoe are happening right now in late August. Third year in a row of rain in August. BROWN POW!4:00 – Burning Man woes – windstorms, epic mud, 10-hour wait line on the playa to get in.8:20 – Dirk Hobskin calls in with Channel 69 news special brown pow report.11:25 – Trail Whisperer celebrates New Bike Day – Ibis Ripley.16:40 – What do you think about Santa Cruz?23:30 – Pow Bot has been frothing on wing foiling on Washoe Lake.31:00 – Ice Cream Man is still harassing Trail Whisperer.32:45 – Old Farmer’s Almanac makes its predictions for Winter 2025-26. Do you think Farmer’s Almanac is an accurate tool for seasonal forecasting?37:15 – Update on the rope swing at DL Bliss State Park getting cut down.40:25 – We sold out! Thanks to all our listeners for buying a Mind the Track hat.41:40 – On a Musical Note – The Scientist (Hopeton Overton Brown), Trail Whisperer saw Collie Buddz at The Hangar in South Lake Tahoe, St. Vincent (Annie Clark).53:00 – Pow Bot recommends watching Florida Man before going on vacation to Florida.55:40 – DOPE or DERP – Mariachi bands.57:20 – DOPE or DERP – Wearing a shammy.1:03:25 – DOPE or DERP – Tailgate Pads.1:14:25 – DOUBLE DOPE – Singing the praises of the Voile ski strap.1:16:55 – DOUBLE DOPE x2 – using a plastic grocery basket as a gear carrier.1:21:40 – Part II of the Cosbey Chronicles will be on episode 70.1:24:00 – Trail Whisperer going on a cross-country adventure driving a car from Boston to Reno.1:28:50 – Pow Bot’s story of sleeping on the side of the highway and being woken at 4:30AM.1:33:30 – The dilemma of inheriting family furniture and the cost of shipping it cross country.1:38:45 – The Mountains to Meadows Enduro Festival at Plumas County Fairgrounds on September 12-14. The return of Grinduro!

On Episode 68 we introduce the first installment of the Cosbey Chronicles. Marc Cosbey, aka Uncle Coz, Cozmo, Sharkey, is the kindred spirit of the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship, and one of its co-founders. Born in the early 1950’s, Coz left home at 17 years old and never looked back, living a free-spirited life of adventure from exploring the American West to sailing around the world on everything from old pirate ships to the most advanced Americas Cup racing boats. In this first episode of a multi-part series with Coz, we chat about his youth in Southern California during the birth of surfing, working in the Utah oil fields as a roughneck, a three-week backpacking trip through the Shoshone Wilderness of Wyoming where he accidently set his face on fire, hitchhiking and getting picked up by gun-toting thieves, building and racing Americas Cup sail boats and surviving a five-day winter storm in the Pacific Ocean on a 1910 Baltic Trader, an adventure that he thought would be his last. 3:00 – Recording from the Downieville Classic.5:30 – Introducing Marc “Coz” Cosbey aka Uncle Cozmo.10:30 – DOPE or DERP – Hot Tubs.14:10 – Part One of Cosbey Chronicles – Growing up in 1960s California, Traveling the West, Backpacking, Hitchhiking, Boat Building and Sailing.17:30 – Growing up in Newport Beach, California in the 1950s and 1960s, early days of surfing.20:10 – Leaving home at 17 years old and started surveying for oil.24:10 – What was Moab, Utah like in the early 1970s?27:10 – Cody, Wyoming and Yellowstone National Park in the early 1970s.28:00 – Backpacking from Cody to Jackson, Wyoming through the Shoshone Wilderness, accidentally burning down their tent and burning up his face and hands.38:00 – Hitchhiking and getting picked up by guys who just robbed a convenience store.42:58 – Do you ever pick up hitchhikers or Pacific Crest Trail hikers?47:30 – Spending a winter skiing in Mammoth Lakes in the mid 1970s.50:30 – Moving to Oahu, Hawaii to live on Waikiki and Ala Wai work on boats, surf and wind surf in the 1970s.54:00 – Spending months sailing across the Pacific Ocean on the Lord Jim sailing ship.59:30 – Finding the section of an old NASA rocket floating in the open ocean, then a killer whale follows next to them riding down a giant swell.1:02:30 – Refinishing a 12 meter sailing race boat for an America’s Cup team in 1986 for Tom Blackaller and competing in 1987 America’s Cup in Australia.1:15:35 – Sailing a real pirate boat built in 1910 from Alaska to San Francisco and the closest Coz ever came to perishing at sea in a 5-day storm.1:26:10 – Delivering a super high end sail boat across the Atlantic and receiving a mayday call about a captain who was lost at sea with clients stuck on the boat.

The first live recorded show of Mind the Track was at last weekend’s grand opening of the brand new Start Haus bike and ski shop in Truckee next to the “mouse hole” on Highway 89, the only shop Pow Bot will take his splitboard. Considered by many to be the best bike and ski shop in Tahoe, Start Haus has a core lord crew of ace mechanics, including one of today’s guests, co-owner Gregg “Stubby” Stone, a recovering singlespeeder who can fix your bike almost as fast as a rides downhill. The boys also chat with OG mountain bike legend Scot Nicol, the founder of Ibis Cycles. Born in 1981 at the dawn of mountain biking, Ibis is the only original mountain bike brand left that is still part owned by its founder. At the ripe young age of 70, Nicol still rips the legs off people half his age. He shares a bit of wisdom about staying young and healthy, a bit about mountain bike history and bike innovation. The boys also chat about California State Park’s recent decision to limb up a Lake Tahoe tree that was the granddaddy of all rope swings, and why social media and “influencers” are squarely to blame for its demise.3:30 – Recording live at the Start Haus grand opening in Truckee.6:10 – Optimization culture – forget that. Optimize having fun. That’s most important.8:00 – We are down to our last 10 Deso Supply hats…so get on it and order yours!9:20 – Pow Bot’s story about riding the Amtrak from Chicago to Colorado to go skiing.11:40 – Listener shout outs to Amiel, Clark and John B.14:55 – A little bit about today’s guests, Scot Nicol, founder of Ibis Cycles and Gregg Stone, co-owner of Start Haus.20:16 – NEWS THAT MATTERS – California State Parks cut down the tree limbs of an iconic rope swing on the West Shore. Social media blew up the spot and ruined everything.34:08 – Former Truckee mayor, Dave Polivy, makes cameo appearance.37:00 – DOPE OR DERP – Bar Down. Liability risk in skiing in the US compared to Europe.45:15 – Euro Carver and Fritz Schmitz talk about difference between Smoke Shack and Start Haus.50:50 – Interview with Scot Nicol, founder of Ibis Cycles.54:40 – The transition from a one-man custom steel frame builder to a 50-person company making composite bikes.58:00 – What innovations have changed mountain biking the most? Suspension. Tubeless.1:01:10 – Why has nobody figured out a 21st Century solution to the Presta valve?1:04:45 – If Scot were to buy a custom hardtail, what would he buy? No. 22 Bicycle Company.1:07:25 – DOPE or DERP – Hardtail mountain bikes.1:10:00 – Staying young and healthy at 70 years old. The key is a life of bikes, avoiding stress and eating healthy.1:15:45 – What is your best day outside North America and inside North America? Slovenia and Lake Tahoe.1:18:50 – What is the Ibis Migration event in Mendocino and La Ventana, Baja Mexico?1:24:53 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?1:26:35 – Interview with Gregg Stone – co-owner of Start Haus.1:27:45 – Where did Gregg get his nickname “Stubby”?1:29:20 – How did Gregg go from being a mobile bike mechanic to being a big bike shop owner?1:34:06 – Start Haus has a great YouTube series with easy to understand tech tips.1:37:00 – How did Start Haus manage to purchase a piece of land and build a brand new building on Highway 89 in Truckee?1:41:45 – What is the best way to get in and out of the parking lot at Start Haus?1:44:10 – What’s the most bizarre bike you’ve ever worked on? Pennyfarthing aka high wheeler.1:48:00 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?1:50:00 – Singlespeed mountain biking and SInglespeed World Championships in Bend, Oregon.

In the hazy aftermath of 4th of July, thankfully Tahoe didn’t burn down but tragically the North Rim Grand Canyon Lodge did. On Episode 66, the boys chat about how they spent the holiday, their favorite fireworks stories, announce the closure of all Sierra Pacific Industries lands to recreation until further notice due to wildfire risk and rant about kids terrorizing neighborhoods on electric motorcycles and the threat to mountain biking. Trail Whisperer cites a recent study about what traits constitute a “cool” person, Pow Bot gives hot purchasing tips on where to buy outdoor gear for less, some core lords call in and DOPE or DERP mobile DJs in the woods, sucking someone’s dust and pond skimming. Also, a little Whatcha Been Riding? and On a Musical Note listening suggestions.2:00 – Fritz Schmitz loves his Deso Supply Mind the Track hat. Get one before they’re gone!5:50 – 4th of July happened and Tahoe didn’t burn down. Participating in the Truckee 4th of July parade with Truckee Dirt Union. Pow Bot loaded the van and went to Oakridge for 4th of July.10:08 – 4th of July fireworks shows gone awry in San Diego and Michigan.13:25 – Pow Bot’s favorite fireworks show/war/bonfire/propane explosion in Boulder, Colorado.17:45 – DOPE OR DERP – Fireworks.23:45 – North Rim Grand Canyon Fire – Lodge burns down.29:55 – Sierra Pacific Industries announces summer land closures for all recreation. This includes Yogi trail network and Martis Peak Road.31:30 – Kids illegally riding electric motorcycles and destroying public property in the Town of Truckee and Sierra Vista Park in Reno.41:30 – Recent study reports on what it means to be a “cool person”.50:40 – Tom’s The Dicky Box at Burning Man story – the story of a “cool” introvert.55:45 – CORE LORD CALL IN – Local Line Larry – More Ice Cream Man rants.1:02:00 – CORE LORD CALL IN – Doug – PCT Gordo Update – He bailed in Tahoe. Foot issues.1:05:00 – DOPE OR DERP – Backpacker chair and a tarp when hiking.1:13:30 – Sportsman’s Warehouse and Sierra Trading Post – great places to buy outdoor equipment for half the price of places like REI.1:17:15 – DOPE OR DERP – Mobile DJ’s in the woods playing music.1:22:55 – DOPE OR DERP – Sucking dust riding behind someone.1:26:55 – DOPE OR DERP – Pond skimming.1:32:15 – Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship Downieville Epic – Upper Butcher Ranch, Gold Valley Rim and Pauley Creek are riding awesome. Also, Upper Tollgate on Mt. Hough is open.1:35:00 – ON A MUSICAL NOTE – All Them Witches and Pachyman.

Recorded deep in the Toiyabe Range of central Nevada far from civilization, the guys talk about the Toiyabe Crest Trail project and the tumultuous arrival of summer in Lake Tahoe, where 11 people perished in a couple days due to a boating accident and hikers drowning in a swimming hole. The boys discuss complacency in the mountains and how it can be deadly, Trail Whisperer recaps his Wilderness First Aid training experience with Bliss Wilderness, Spooner Lake State Park puts out a survey for a new master plan, core lords call in to ask how you recover from a mountain bike accident, a rebuttal to DERPing UGG boots, saving wildlife you find in the backyard and if the ice cream man and his truck are DOPE or DERP. Also, Mind the Track announces its first piece of branded apparel for listeners to purchase! 2:30 – Recording on location in the Toiyabe Range of central Nevada, working on the Toiyabe Crest Trail. 5:35 – Jim Zellers and the early days of mountain biking in 1970s Cupertino, California.8:55 – Trail Whisperer’s first time riding the Toiyabe Crest Trail in 2016.18:15 – Mind the Track swag is finally here! Our first piece of apparel – the Mind the Track Do All Adventure hat made by Deso Supply Co (desosupply.com)25:30 – Summer is here. The solstice has arrived. Post work steamy singletrack sundown rides and the deadliest day in Tahoe boating history?29:22 – Three hikers drowned at Rattlesnake Falls on the N. Fork American River. Juan Heredia – a free diver hero who retrieved the bodies.32:20 – Complacency is dangerous. Always be on guard in the mountains because Mother Nature rules.37:45 – Mono County Search and Rescue extracted a splitboarder who fell 1,000 feet off Mount Dana. 39:00 – Ebikes, bad ideas and what’s healthier – no drinking and riding ebikes or drinking and riding mountain bikes?44:05 – Recap of Bliss Wilderness and his teaching of Wilderness First Aid and being a First Responder. 51:14 – Nevada State Parks survey for Spooner Lake State Park. Share your thoughts and ideas!Surveymonkey.com/r/spoonerlakebackcountry or email planning@parks.nv.gov . Survey closes July 20. 53:50 – Core Lord Call-Ins – Sean - @familysize – how do you go about rebounding from a crash on the mountain bike?1:00:48 – Nate – Another name for Tourists – COD – Careless, Odd and Dangerous. He vehemently disagrees with DERPing UGGs.1:05:45 – DOPE or DERP – Kellen on Insta – handguards on mountain bikes. 1:14:20 – DOPE or DERP – The Ice Cream Man and his ice cream truck. 1:17:40 – DOPE or DERP – Saving wildlife you find in your backyard. 1:24:05 – The ice cream power move at camp. What are your favorite camping power moves?1:26:30 – Shout out to Myles at Incline Spirits and Cigars in Incline Village. 

As summer riding season settles in amidst massive plumes of tree pollen and afternoon thunderstorms creating hero dirt conditions, the boys discuss a bunch of random topics from 888 COR LORD listener call-ins, emails and messages. The boys dope or derp a variety of topics from petunias and the wind to dogs on leashes, UGG boots, bike racks on motorcycles and flat versus clipless MTB pedals. The boys also draw parallels between all you can eat sushi and ski resort season passes, contemplate being struck by lightning while riding an e-bike and Trail Whisperer recaps his failed Mount Shasta ski attempt with the words “diarrhea and blisters”.  4:00 – Trail Whisperer skied Mount Shasta and Lassen Peak. Diarrhea and blisters.9:30 – Lots of chatter and feedback from the Truckee River Public Waters episode.13:25 – Tree pollen and the reproductive process of evergreen trees.17:20 – Being struck by lightning while riding an e-bike.20:35 – Whatcha been riding? Mount Hough, Sky Tavern, Boca/Verdi Ridge36:00 – Where is Gordo on his PCT trek?37:50 – Core Lord Call-Ins – Nate – Dope or Derp? – Listening to speaker playing Mind the Track while skiing or MTB in a crowded area.40:06 – Sky Emerson – disagrees about the wind. Dope or Derp? – Petunias45:00 – Wayneo – Dogs on leashes. Which MTB pedals do you prefer – Flat pedals or clipless and what brand do you ride?58:00 – Neil – Dope or Derp? A bike rack on a motorcycle.1:01:05 – Sam – Dope or Derp? Adult men wearing UGG boots outside the home.1:07:50 – Dope or Derp? All you can eat sushi. Reno is the all you can eat sushi capital of the world.1:15:20 – 2025 was the second busiest ski season in American history.1:20:00 – Getting worse at your #1 sport while getting better at your #2 sport.1:23:15 – Jackass Trail is back! No more Donkey Town trail. Truckee Dirt Union Loam Masters Rally was a huge hit.

Along one of the best stretches of the Truckee River for fishing, a private landowner in Hirschdale has been blocking legal public access by placing no trespassing signs below the high water mark of the river. Longtime Hirschdale resident Matt “Gilligan” Koles, who’s been a fly fishing guide on the Truckee River for more than two decades, has been fighting these illegally placed signs, as well as dealing with aggressive intimidation tactics involving drawn firearms by the landowner. The Truckee is considered a navigable river, meaning the public has legal access to the river below the high water mark. Nonetheless, the illegally placed signs have not moved, and the intimidation has scared most of the public away. In response, last fall, Matt and a group of fly fishing friends formed @truckeeriverpublicwaters – a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to protecting legal public access to the Truckee River. In Episode 63, the boys chat about the importance of the Truckee River, a bit of its history, a little about fishing and a lot about the access struggle community members in Hirschdale have been facing and what we as the public can do to ensure legal access is preserved. 2:00 – PowBot growing up fishing for Walleye and Northern Pike in Michigan.7:25 – Trail Whisperer growing up fishing at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.13:00 – The importance of the Truckee River to the Reno/Tahoe region.16:45 – Truckee River public access issues are happening in Hirschdale.19:35 – The story of OTB and Deer Creek trail access issues.24:00 – Public vs private land access issues and knowing your access rights.27:35 – More reminiscing about Cape Hatteras.29:10 – Whatcha been riding?30:45 – Truckee River Trivia – the river doesn’t start in Lake Tahoe, there’s an Upper Truckee River.31:35 – Introducing Matt “Gilligan” Koles and Truckee River Public Waters.35:30 – Senator Newlands (Newlands Act) bought a bunch of land and diverted the Truckee River.38:45 – Matt’s story moving to Hirschdale and creating Gilligan’s Guide Service.43:30 – What makes the Truckee River so special for fly fishing?46:10 – Lake Lahontan and the origins of the Lahontan Cutthroat Trout – a native prehistoric fish.48:09 – Some unique facts about the Truckee River.49:45 – The Paiute Tribe of Pyramid Lake, water rights, drought and the reservoir system feeding the Truckee River.55:00 – Truckee River Public Waters – preserving public access along the Truckee River.56:30 – The current public access issues people are facing currently in Hirschdale.1:05:15 – The confusion over the “high water” mark on the Truckee River.1:19:00 – The Hirschdale bridge is the main access point for the Tahoe Pyramid Trail.1:22:00 – What should the public do regarding legal access to the river in Hirschdale?1:25:30 – What if you get harassed by a landowner? What should you do?1:32:16 – How can people help support Truckee River Public Waters?1:34:25 – All fisherman are liars and the Truckee River is hard to catch big fish.1:38:20 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?

In an age where local journalism is struggling to survive, Lake Tahoe is fortunate to have Julie Brown Davis, a West Shore native and staff writer for SFGATE who exclusively covers Lake Tahoe. As the daughter of ski bums who moved to Tahoe in the 1970s, Julie grew up skiing Homewood and Alpine Meadows, worked her first journalism gig at the Sierra Sun and eventually became managing editor of Powder Magazine. After a handful of years as a freelancer, Julie has returned to her journalism roots as a staff reporter, and she isn’t afraid to take on the big, controversial stories. On Episode 62 the boys chat with Julie about stories including infamous bears, the crush of tourists amidst the changing face of Tahoe, the role of TRPA, the negative effects of the season ski pass from mega resorts, recent federal staffing cuts and the potential impacts it will have on Tahoe tourism, the effect AI has on journalism and why corn is the new pow. 2:15 – Happy Mother’s Day!8:00 – Introducing Julie Brown Davis – professional journalist who works as the SFGATE Tahoe editor.13:00 – Trail Whisperer and his former life as a freelance writer for Chevron.14:20 – What kind of gasoline should you put in your vehicle?19:00 - The problem with bears in Lake Tahoe and all the bear stories Julie has reported on.29:20 – Julie’s youth growing up on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe in Tahoma.35:42 – Julie’s path to getting into writing as a profession and her first job at the Sierra Sun and Tahoe World, later writing for Moonshine Ink and going to UC Berkeley for graduate school.41:45 – Going from an unpaid intern to managing editor at Powder Magazine and Transworld.46:46 – What print magazines and newspapers do you subscribe to?52:14 – Being a full-time employee for SFGATE as the Lake Tahoe region beat reporter.57:28 – Is there a sustainable future for recreation, traffic control and parking in Lake Tahoe?1:00:20 – Is the cheap season pass from IKON and Vail Resorts good for mountain communities?1:06:55 – What is a better model for digital media – paywall or free content that’s ad driven?1:11:15 – Julie’s story about the history of Graeagle, California and the West family who owned Vikingsholm in Emerald Bay.1:15:30 – Doing a story about the wolf pack situation in Plumas and Sierra County.1:19:31 – Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to make reporting quicker and easier, but it isn’t developed enough to replace good journalists.1:22:20 – Reporting on federal staffing cuts to the U.S. Forest Service and the negative impact it will have on the summer tourism season in Lake Tahoe.1:28:05 – Road construction, new bridges, new bike paths, tons of traffic and the TRPA transportation plan.1:31:00 – Lightning round questions for Julie.1:16:30 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?

The 888 COR LORD phone line has lit up the last couple of weeks, and the boys address numerous calls from listeners with questions about backcountry skiing, DOPE or DERPs including wearing full Lycra while mountain biking in the backcountry, riding a splitboard inbounds at a ski resort, blasting music on a Bluetooth speaker while riding and tracking vert skied at a resort and posting to Strava. The boys also talk about the recent closure of all trails in and around Marlette Lake and Spooner Lake State Park for the next two summers and beating the tariff price increases coming with outdoor gear. Trail Whisperer gets chainsaw certified, ASS rants about people saying “could care less” instead of “couldn’t care less” and gets his first snowboard lesson from Pow Bot at Donner Ski Ranch.   3:20 – Pow Bot gives Trail Whisperer snowboard lessons at Donner Ski Ranch. 11:30 – You have to ride the chairlift to become a better skier before backcountry skiing. And if you want to be a better mountain biker, don’t ride the chairlift.18:20 – Trail Whisperer gets chainsaw certified by the U.S. Forest Service.21:50 – Pow Bot starts riding his mountain bike after spring skiing burnout and Trail Whisperer almost gets attacked by a swarm of bees. 25:50 – Listener feedback and 888 COR LORD call-ins – Fritz from Calpine – Kirkwood closing day, pond skimming. 31:10 – Shred the Gnerd – wants to get into backcountry splitboarding and is seeking advice about what to do in the off-season to prepare. 37:26 – Mystery Non-NARP – DOPE or DERP – Full Lycra kit in the backcountry?46:10 – Gordo – about to hike the entire Pacific Crest Trail over the next 5 months and a bit about the book “Born to Run” and the 5 finger shoes.52:20 – Steve emailed us about the 10 Shredmandments and people doing dumb things.56:30 – Nevada State Parks shuts down all trails around Marlette Lake for two years.1:03:10 – Washoe County Releases Mount Rose recreational trails survey – https://engage.zencity.io/washoe-county-nv/en/engagements/580ebe44-fd70-4b4d-a9e2-bc0c593d55f6?utm_medium=referral1:04:50 – How are you going to beat the increase in outdoor gear costs due to tariffs?1:09:00 – DOPE or DERP – Riding a splitboard at a ski resort.1:12:55 – DOPE or DERP – Tracking vert skied at a resort and posting to Strava.1:16:25 – DOPE or DERP – Bluetooth speakers while riding.1:21:30 – ASS RANT – could care less vs couldn’t care less. 1:23:55 – ON A MUSICAL NOTE – Ethiopian Jazz – Mulatu Estatke. Shout out to Myles at Incline Spirits.

Few families in the Lake Tahoe region have had more of a positive impact on recreation than the Fish family. Ben and Amy revived the Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association (TAMBA) in 2010, and started both the 60-mile Rose to Toads epic and Corral Night Ride. Their son Max, about the same age as TAMBA, grew up alongside the organization, and as soon as he could walk, he was on two wheels in dirt, two sticks on snow and a trail tool in hand working last year as a paid employee at Bijou Bike Park, a park designed by Ben. Since November 2016, Ben and Max have skied and snowboarded every month through pow, ice, corn, sun cups, rocks, man-made snow and even the Caldor Fire, reaching 100 consecutive months in February. On Episode 60, the Fish family talks all about TAMBA, the process of their 100-month snow adventure, the importance of bike parks and adventuring together as a family.   2:00 – It’s Corntastic! Trail Whisperer makes his first turns as a snowboarder.4:30 – Recording at Kirkwood at the Reid household with Ben, Amy and Max Fish.9:00 – Ben and Amy started Rose to Toad’s and Corral Night Ride.11:45 – The history of Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association (TAMBA).15:53 – Max recalls his earliest memories with TAMBA and Bijou Bike Park.17:30 – The concept of “radical families” – not letting children slow parents down from having adventures.  20:30 – Max talks about The Smaine Fund - created in memory of Kyle Smaine - and becoming a ski racer.22:45 – Recounting 100 consecutive months of skiing and snowboarding, starting in November 2016. Only 6 months were not in the Sierra Nevada.26:26 – Dave Webster - “The Daily Wavester” – surfed every day for 40 years, catching at least 3 waves each day, totaling 43,923 waves.29:30 – What patches of snow in the Sierra Nevada hold the longest into the summer?  31:25 – Skiing during the Caldor Fire.33:30 – Using ebikes to access ski areas like Heavenly, Tioga Pass and Mount Lola.35:25 – Some of Ben’s favorite memories from 100 months of skiing.38:30 – What have they seen over the last 8 years with snowpack and climate change?46:30 – Max’s love of the Gunbarrel 25 event at Heavenly and Kurt’s experience at the Gunbarrel.53:00 – Max’s transition from freeriding to competitive ski racing.54:30 – Odd mountain biking footwear – Tevas, cowboy boots, Vans and five finger shoes.57:10 – Max working last summer as a paid employee at the Bijou Bike Park and Ben’s work as a landscape architect in designing the bike park.1:00:00 – The importance of bike parks to a community and to developing skills.1:03:35 – Do you feel more comfortable jumping through the air on skis or on bikes?1:07:50 – Amy wants to learn to play drums and her long, stupid ride exploits.1:10:45 – ON A MUSICAL NOTE – What are you listening to right now and when Ben and Amy met at a punk ska show in high school.1:14:45 – The concept of learning a new sport and getting better and Trail Whisperer’s experience making his first turns as a snowboarder.1:19:55 – What new sport or hobby would you like to learn? Most want to learn wing foiling, e-foiling and wake foiling.1:23:30 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?1:26:30 – New trails TAMBA is working on to get excited about – Lost Lake, Meeks Ridge, General Creek are highlights.

BAM! KERPOW! From winter to spring in a matter of a couple days, the boys chase the change in season with an East Side pow mission and new trail construction on Mount Hough. Pow Bot laments the “get off my wave” localism culture of surfing that’s creeping into splitboarding, Trail Whisperer ASS rants about @sugarbowl opening Palisades to only elite athletes in a competition and the disdain he has for National Parks, a listener critiques Pow Bot for using “jazz hands” while snowboarding and Trail Whisperer gets his very first splitboard after being a lifelong skier. The boys chat more about wolves, public river access issues in Hirschdale, five finger shoes, DOPE OR DERP Nordic skiing and the favorite sounds snow makes when you’re slashing it. 2:40 – Spring has sprung!3:40 – All about boots and shoes and Trail Whisperer’s love of Vibram 5 finger shoes.11:40 – Pow Bot does an east side Sierra Nevada pow hunting mission.14:10 – The territorial “get off my wave” surfing mentality and culture creeping into backcountry skiing.16:55 – Trail Whisperer works a 40 hour work week for the first time in years.20:35 – New trails on Mount Hough in Quincy.24:10 – Pow Bot is back to being a weekend warrior after a winter off from work.27:10 – Listener feedback – more about the wolf conversation. Nevada issuing moose hunting tags for the first time in history.37:00 – DOPE OR DERP – Jazz Hands when snowboarding. Tanner on Insta says Pow Bot uses his hands too much while snowboarding.39:30 – Pow Bot got his love for jazz hands from some of the best surfers in the world – Tom Curren’s first wave at Jeffrey’s Bay.41:30 – Trail Whisperer gets his first splitboard!!50:05 – Pow Bot learns about the concept of onomatopoeia.52:10 – Favorite sounds that snow makes when slashing pow.56:15 – Lauren on Insta – group of fishermen in Hirschdale fighting with a private landowner over public access to the Truckee River.58:50 – DOPE OR DERP – Nordic Skiing1:04:30 – ASS RANT – Sugar Bowl opens Palisades for only one day, and for only elite athletes in the Silver Belt competition. Never opened to season passholders.1:11:50 – DOPE OR DERP – Planning a vacation around a national park in 2025 and an ASS RANT about national parks.1:21:30 – Swan John gets inducted into the Western Washington University sports Hall of Fame for rowing1:27:57 – ON A MUSICAL NOTE – Lady Gaga is on Pow Bot’s shit list because she stole the Mayhem logo from Matt Biolos and his surfboard brand, …Lost and Mayhem.1:34:15 – When our favorite sports like surfing, snowboarding and mountain biking go mainstream, but still keeping the identity and culture of the sport.1:38:03 – Event calendar over the next few weeks – 10th Annual Rally for Rocker on 4/26, SBTS Spring Epic in Quincy on 5/15-18, Truckee Dirt Union Loam Masters Rally 5/23-24.

April arrives with 3 feet of new snow in Lake Tahoe, making it feel more like January than spring. PowBot recaps his best tour of the year at Lassen National Park while Trail Whisperer breaks his snowmobile. The boys give some listener shout outs and play some 888 COR LORD call-ins, diving deeper into whether or not solo backcountry skiing is dope or derp and if a van is better suited for adventures than a pickup with 4 Wheel Camper. They also discuss the show’s intro and outro songs and where all the sound bites came from, decide which of the five senses are most important to them, chat about corner crossing over private land and the controversial reintroduction of the gray wolf into northern California. The show ends with a song called RNO by Trail Whisperer’s old band, Man Downstream, paying tribute to the Biggest Little City in the World. 3:00 – Spring is here and it’s still winter! Sinter. Apriluary.5:30 – Lots of snow up on Packer Saddle. Downieville Downhill isn’t going to melt out until late June at earliest.6:40 – PowBot’s PowDar was firing on all cylinders and scored pow at Lassen National Park.17:00 – Trail Whisperer breaks his snowmobile.21:38 – Any good April Fools jokes? @powderbuoy and @tahoefund25:55 – Listener feedback and shout outs about ebikes and west shore skin tracks.31:00 – 888 COR LORD Call Ins – Solo Backcountry Skiing and Van Life vs 4Wheel Camper life.50:11 – 888 COR LORD Call Ins – Gordo calls us out on season passes. You don’t buy a season pass to ski pow.55:50 – Sammy G asks: What are the Mind the Track intro and outro songs? Who’s the artist? And what are all the soundbites at the beginning?1:10:20 – The Five Senses – which is the most important to you and which one could you not live without?1:21:20 – Corner Crossing between public and private land is deemed legal by U.S. District Court.1:28:30 – Sierra County issues state of emergency for the California Gray Wolf.1:45:00 – DOPE OR DERP – skinning up the face you are going to ski back down.1:48:48 – Outro – RNO by Man Downstream

Recapping a polarizing winter that has been “clear and still” – either literally clear with no snow and still with no wind, or snow clear up to your ass and still snowing, the boys catch up on a number of topics including PowBot’s surf trip to Costa Rica, Trail Whisperer’s Death Valley four wheeling adventure and helicopter skiing, the sketchy last month of avalanches and the lack of stoke for resort skiing. The boys DERP local ski resorts for their season pass money grab of selling next years pass in March, they also DERP @palisadestahoe for leaning on local law enforcement to bust ski pass poachers. The ASS rants about social media and the unnecessary steepness of West Shore skin tracks and ponder why skins haven’t improved that much in the last 10 years. The boys also play some 888 COR LORD call-ins from listeners. 2:00 – Recording from the Tahoe City Transit Center in PowBot’s new van.4:20 – Recapping a banger couple of days skiing the West Shore of Lake Tahoe.10:20 – PowBot witnesses public hate for the Tesla Cybertruck.14:20 – Trail Whisperer takes the Land Cruiser four wheeling in Death Valley then goes to Tonopah to stay at the Mizpah Hotel.21:20 – Trail Whisperer goes helicopter skiing.25:40 – Skiing in the Toiyabe.26:25 – PowBot goes surfing in Costa Rica34:55 – The boys have been down on the ski resort experience this year, too busy everywhere.39:20 – DOPE OR DERP – Do you buy next year’s ski pass now in March?46:00 – ASS rant about the state of social media and podcasting.55:40 – Tom has an encounter on his flight home from Costa Rica related to the podcast.58:45 – ASS rant about the unnecessary steepness of West Shore skin tracks.1:01:40 – Why have skins not improved that much in the last decade?1:05:20 – DOPE OR DERP – Alterra and Vail leaning on local law enforcement to prosecute ski pass poachers.1:13:05 – ebiker gets stranded for 30 hours in rural Texas after her ebike battery died and PowBot’s story of his ebike dying in Downieville.1:16:00 – Listeners call into the 888 COR LORD hotline, talking about attainable, approachable backyard adventures.1:23:55 – Shout out to Alenka Vrecek – new article in Adventure Sports Journal about her Tahoe to Baja ride.1:25:10 – Trail Whisperer restores a vintage road bike and takes it for a ride.1:33:34 – The recent rash of avalanche incidents and fatalities since early February.

With a focus on simplicity, minimalism and human-powered adventure, Nick Russell embodies what it is to be a free-spirited, big line splitboarder while making a living at it. Russell has eschewed guidebooks for true adventure, hunting for big lines and pow based more on a feeling than a calculation. This organic approach to becoming an expert in the backcountry takes years and more than a couple sandbag missions, but in the process creates a deeper connection with the land and with his comrades. Russell’s most recent mission, captured in the Patagonia Films feature Papsura – Peak of Evil, along with his partner Jerry Mark and filmers Morgan Shields and Blake Gordon, claimed a first splitboard descent on an iconic line in the Indian Himalaya, a month-long mission that exceeded all expectations – a rare occurrence PowBot refers to as “The Jerry Effect”, related to the late Jerry Garcia. The boys also chat about the state of public lands in the midst of an onslaught against government agencies, with Russell encouraging listeners to call (202) 224 3121 and tell your local elected officials what you think about the drastic cuts against the Forest Service, National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management.4:45 – Introducing Nick Russell – core lord big mountain splitboarder.8:30 – Follow up to the butt vest discussion – Nick endorses the concept of the butt vest.15:15 – A little more about who Nick Russell is. Redefining big mountain splitboard freeriding.18:00 – Starting out in Utah’s Wasatch and the organic process of getting into splitboarding.25:00 – Living simply, minimalism to reduce expense and maximize free time….filming their Alaska adventure, a film called “Free” on Vimeo.28:40 – Finding pow based “on a feeling” and the resulting Fun scale – Type 1, Type 2, Type 3.37:30 – All about the Papsura film mission, spending a month in India to ski one line.41:20 – The added complexity of having a film crew while accomplishing such a huge mission.46:30 – “The Jerry Effect” – Not just with the Grateful Dead, but also in Nick and Jerry’s Papsura mission – everything went perfectly and according to plan.58:00 – Reviewing the last week of avalanche conditions in Lake Tahoe and how Nick navigates dangerous snowpack and staying out of avalanche terrain when it’s high risk.1:07:30 – Becoming more conservative in the wake of a serious injury falling into a crevasse in Alaska on Mount Saint Elias.1:12:45 – How does a line that’s so difficult to ever ski make the 50 Classic Ski Descents of North America?1:17:10 – Coping with the loss of friends in the backcountry over the years and the draw of social media FOMO feeding into dangerous situations.1:23:35 –Nick’s take with the state of public lands and current federal workforce firings and budget freezes. Call 202 224 3121 – tell your local elected representatives what you think about what’s happening to our public lands.1:33:00 – The potential silver lining in the recent attacks against our government and public lands.1:37:25 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?1:39:30 – Trail Whisperer and PowBot recap the discussion with Nick Russell.1:42:00 – Recapping the recent four-day trip to Frog Lake Huts.1:48:40 – PowBot encounters the Zoa Engineering Backcountry Tow Rope on the West Shore.1:59:40 – Shout out to HeavyDSparks and the Diesel Brothers for recovering the plane wreckage and the victim’s body from Mount Jefferson with their Blackhawk helicopter.

After a weeks-long dry spell in January, the first day of February bring a week-long series of atmospheric river storms to the Lake Tahoe region, with a foot of rain, multiple feet of snow and hurricane force winds. PowBot recaps his Canadian hut trip, giving kudos to Big Sky resort and reminisces on atmospheric river storms of the past while Trail Whisperer rants about tire chains and the evil empire of Amazon. Al Powcino makes his return with another Powderiffic Snow Report, the boys are compared to Statler and Waldorf from the Muppet Show, TW raves about a George Carlin documentary, lots of listener shout outs and a few Dope or Derps including the Butt Vest, electric snow bikes and wearing hunting gear for skiing. 3:00 – PowBot returns from his Canada Powder Highway trip.4:30 – Recording right during the arrival of a big Atmospheric River event in the Sierra Nevada, after an extended period of very dry weather.6:00 – Recapping PowBot’s ski hut trip to Golden Alpine Holidays in British Columbia.8:40 – The five most important things to know about preparing for a Canada ski hut trip.19:45 – The incoming Atmospheric River and huge amounts of rain.21:50 – Going to the birthplace of Mind the Track, Frog Lake Huts near Donner Summit.23:40 – Al Powcino’s Powderiffic Snow Report.26:45 – ASS rant about chained up cars and semis on the freeway.28:45 – The current storm is reminiscent of the 2016-2017 winter when there was terrible flooding on Donner Summit and at Donner Lake.34:45 – Listener Shout Outs! And PowBot shouts out his experience at Big Sky in Montana.42:38 – Stavros asks “What avalanche course would you recommend taking?”46:04 – Jed loves reggae music and Stick Figure, Mount Bachelor getting bought by ski bums and Truckee in the Wall Street Journal.49:50 – Nate said the boys are the old men on the Muppet Show, Waldorf and Statler.53:30 – Carl turned us onto @powderbuoy on Instagram – weather buoys in the Pacific and correlation to winter storms.55:05 – Matt sent us a link to a recent plane crash in the Toquima Range on Mount Jefferson.58:35 – J.T. Robinson – Backcountry Etiquette and Mentorship video about 10 Shredmandments - youtube.com/watch?v=ubGHAb3Y_VM1:01:50 – DOPE OR DERP? – The Buttvest.1:08:00 – DOPE OR DERP? – Wearing hunting apparel for skiing.1:13:00 – DOPE OR DERP? – Moonbike Motors electric snow bike.1:16:55 – DOPE OR DERP? – Tire chains.1:22:45 – Keith recommends the film “Camera Corner” about Wende Cragge – on YouTube by The Radavist.1:23:55 – Ben asks, what’s the best quiver beater mountain bike? The 130mm rear travel trail bike. Specialized Epic Evo and Stumpjumper Evo, Pivot Trail 429, Ibis Ripley, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Yeti SB120.1:32:00 – ON A MUSICAL NOTE – Keith recommended RadioParadise.com – live streaming of music 24/7, KEXP.org in Seattle and KOTO in Telluride.1:37:50 – Trail Whisperer recommends watching George Carlin’s American Dream.1:41:30 – Trail Whisperer recommends Buy Now – The Amazon Shopping Conspiracy.1:44:10 – The federal funding freeze and how it will affect recreation.1:45:40 – Two thumbs up for the new Reno Vista trail on Peavine Mountain. Super fun! 

Two weeks into his Powder Highway road trip, PowBot calls in from Revelstoke, British Columbia to chat about life on the road in the new van, the differences between the U.S. and Canada when it comes to snow and ski culture, hiring a ski guide in Whistler to go big in the Blackcomb backcountry and interviewing “Trailhead Tim” Gibson, who PowBot met at the trailhead and suddenly became his backcountry partner in bagging the Aussie Couloir in Joffre Lakes Provincial Park. Also, the boys Dope or Derp snow stake cams, backcountry skiing solo, the magnetic Snow Strip product and reggae music. 3:00 – Catching up with PowBot on his road trip to the Powder Highway of Canada, calling from the Revelstoke Rec Center parking lot.8:30 – Trail Whisperer in Downieville.10:00 – Avalanche Canada is saying “it’s time to consider getting into bigger terrain” – it’s GO TIME in the alpine! Favorable clear high pressure weather all week.13:00 – Pow Bot’s road trip so far – Mount Bachelor, Stevens Pass, Whistler, Duffey Lakes.18:45 – Vail Resorts is having a PR nightmare. Youtube Peak Rankings financial breakdown of Vail Resorts. Park City Mountain Resort Ski Patrol is on strike and Vail wouldn’t give them a $2/hr pay raise.21:40 – PowBot arrives in Whistler/Blackcomb and stays at Riverside RV park. PowBot hires a ski guide from Altus Mountain Guides, Tim Ross, to take him touring off the Blackcomb glaciers.25:00 – How does Canada differ from United States when it comes to skiing culture?28:35 – What is Pow Bot’s boondock overnight parking plan?29:30 – Parking and skiing at Joffre Lakes area, a Canadian Provincial Park. PowBot helped unstuck the local plow truck driver, Danny, a backcountry skier who plows the lots for skiers.33:00 – PowBot meets Trailhead Tim and skis the Aussie Couloir with him.37:55 – How do you know when you meet a stranger that they will be a good ski partner?39:35 – Dope or Derp? Skiing solo. PowBot skied the Seven Steps to Paradise on Rogers Pass by himself and it was the dopest tour of his life.49:24 – In order to ski parts of Rogers Pass you have to take a backcountry travel test.52:45 – New iPhones have a text to satellite feature, eliminating the need to have something like a Spot or Garmin InReach.54:45 – Dope or Derp? The Snowstrip - A magnetic rack that goes on the side of your vehicle so your skis/board doesn’t fall and hit the ground.57:55 – Dope or Derp? Reggae Music – Tom’s been listening to a bunch of reggae. Stick Figure, Arise Roots, John Brown’s Body and 10 Foot Ganja Plant. David Lee Scales and Chaz Smith of The Grit podcast think reggae is derp. Bob Marley is The Legend for a reason.1:04:55 – ON A MUSICAL NOTE – Ross – listener recommending Tycho and Khruangbin.1:09:20 – Dope or Derp? – a listener Derek wants to know what’s up with snow stake cams.1:16:25 – Last Saturday, tail end of the holiday, one of the busiest days of skiing in Tahoe ever due to the snow stake cam.1:20:25 – The sleeper pow days are the best days – the snow stake cam isn’t always accurate.1:21:40 – PowBot recorded a conversation with Trailhead Tim after their adventure on Aussie Couloir and the concept of “risk shaming”.1:30:50 – A conversation with Tim Gibson at Joffre Lakes Provincial Park – living van life and skiing in Canada.1:36:20 – Quitting the corporate life, retiring and living the ski bum van life full time.1:40:45 – Partnering up with Tim to ski Joffre Peak and Aussie Couloir.1:48:24 – Moved to Chile in 2004 and got into backcountry skiing, fully self-taught through trial and error. Close calls with cornices, glaciers and crevasses.1:54:00 – The American ski culture of not reporting avalanche accidents, opposite from Canada. The concept of “risk shaming” and how risky behavior is frowned upon in skiing in the US.1:59:00 – Living in Seattle and skiing in Washington state – Mount Rainier, North Cascades, Snoqualmie Pass.2:07:00 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?

In the final episode of 2024, the boys catch up on a variety of topics just before PowBot hits the road for a month-long ski adventure on the Powder Highway of Canada, including Trail Whisperer’s story of driving the Powder Highway right as COVID hit in early 2020. The new snow reporter, Al Powcino, makes his debut with a wet and soggy forecast, Trail Whisperer presents the most compelling evidence yet that the Hunga Tonga volcanic eruption is linked to the last two years of record-breaking global warming, the boys discuss the 2024 word of the year, “Brain Rot”, and Trail Whisperer recounts his recent visit to San Diego chasing the massive surf swell. Pepper in a few Dope or Derps and 2024 is complete. Thanks to all our listeners for an awesome second season of Mind the Track!  3:00 – Artificial Intelligence and snow forecasting.5:50 – Christmas Day – Pow Day at Sugar Bowl, death cookies at Mount Rose and holiday traffic.8:20 – PowBot gets Trail Whisperer a Christmas gift – a bicycling book from Japan.11:00 – Dope or Derp? eSkimo – the ebike of backcountry skiing.15:50 – Dope or Derp? Christmas gifts and Christmas trees.21:10 – Sam and Trail Whisperer went to San Diego before Christmas to surf the big swell.27:30 – PowBot is about to embark on a road trip to the Powder Highway of Canada and going to the Meadow Hut with Golden Alpine Holidays.29:25 – Driving the Powder Highway, Trans-Canada Highway, Revelstoke, Kelowna, Golden.32:45 – Revelstoke and Kicking Horse – awesome mountains but no chairlift infrastructure.35:10 – Crystal Mountain in Washington.36:00 – Chairlift evacuation malfunctions at Heavenly, Telluride, Winter Park and France. What’s the longest you’ve ever spent on a broken chairlift?41:00 – Golden Alpine Holidays and Meadow Hut in the Esplanade Range north of Golden.42:00 – Banff National Park – Amazing winter campground with 110V power and heated showers.44:10 – Dope or Derp? Driving and passing someone on a double yellow.48:20 – Oxford University Press Word of the Year – “Brain Rot”.50:15 – The Hunga Tonga volcanic eruption and it’s effect on recent climate change. Scientists are beginning to acknowledge its effects on the suddenly warming climate.52:10 – Dr. Javier Vinos – author of Climate of the Past, Present and Future, a Scientific Debate, summarizes Hunga Tonga’s effect on the rapid warming of the climate.58:10 – Mind the Track introduces the new Powderiffic Snow Report correspondent – Al Powcino!1:02:30 – Low tide snow conditions in Tahoe and Shasta Avalanche Center employees rescue a lost and frozen duck at 10,000 feet elevation and released it at a creek in town.1:05:00 – News – EXPLORE Act passed by Congress – legislation focused on improving outdoor recreation access, including BOLT Act - Bicycling on Long Distance Trails.1:08:50 – Outdoor recreation is a $1.2 trillion industry supporting 5 million jobs in the U.S.1:10:30 – Toyota takes every spot in vehicles most likely to last 250,000 miles or more, including the Tacoma, Tundra, Sequoia, 4Runner and Highlander Hybrid.1:13:35 – New study shows staggering number of spinal cord injuries with mountain bikers.1:15:20 – Hoot Trail in Nevada City – continued drama about its future.1:23:25 – Trail Whisperer’s story about driving the Powder Highway at the beginning of COVID.1:29:40 – On a musical note - @facemelts – King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, The Osees, Queens of the Stone Age, Screaming Trees, Mark Lanegan.1:35:45 – Do you listen to music when you ski or ride your bike?1:39:30 – Thanks to all our listeners for an awesome 2024. Growing fast!

In the last couple years of record-breaking snowfalls, budget shortfalls, staffing shortages and lack of affordable housing for CalTrans road crew workers, plowed parking areas for backcountry access are no longer a given. The Tahoe Backcountry Alliance is working with community leaders to help address these issues, focused on expanding winter access for all non-motorized users. Since 2015, TBA has expanded access for motorized and non-motorized use in Johnson Canyon, created a plowed parking lot on the west end of Donner Lake, is about to open a new lot for Tallac access and created a free SnoPark pass system for local residents. We sit down with TBA Executive Director Anthony Cupaiuolo to chat about the importance of access for winter recreation in and around Lake Tahoe, the ongoing parking issues on the West Shore, its impacts on the local recreation economy and what the protocol is for backcountry users when parking areas haven’t been plowed.3:00 – PowBot rides a legit snowmobile for the first time and actually liked it.5:00 – Bumping into the Tahoe backcountry legend Otto on the skintrack in Ward Canyon.7:00 – Palisades Tahoe can’t manage to get their mountain open…again. 7:45 – On a Musical Note: Trail Whisperer is loving listening to The Black Keys and The White Stripes and Pow Bot is watching No Good Deed. 10:15 – Listener shout outs and Dope or Derp? Subaru Crosstrek17:00 – Introducing Anthony Cupaiuolo of Tahoe Backcountry Alliance and First Tracks Productions.22:00 – Backcountry “carpooling” with three people using one snowmobile and PowBot’s skijouring harness. 24:50 – Blowing up the secret spots. Cody Townsend’s new The 50+ episode about the West Shore of Lake Tahoe. 26:50 – Anthony got invited by Sierra Academy to the Hutchinson Lodge at Donner Summit for a photo and video presentation to kids about skiing.28:30 – Mount Rose aka Mount Surprise and skiing the Bronco Chutes near Relay Peak. 33:20 – Anthony featured in a short film about Mount Rose called “A Rose for All”, and the importance of public access to the outdoors in Mount Rose Meadows. 40:00 – Collaborating with Lake Tahoe Snowmobilers on safety and awareness and gaining access in Johnson Canyon thanks to help from Truckee Donner Land Trust.43:20 – Brief history of the Tahoe Backcountry Alliance – came to be when parking was going to be eliminated for the Jake’s Peak area on the West Shore in 2015.48:30 – Issues on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe – lack of plowing and challenges with CalTrans plow crews can have a negative impact on the local tourism economy when plowing isn’t done.57:00 – The etiquette of parking in a snow storm before an area has been plowed and cleared.1:04:50 – When did Anthony get involved with Tahoe Backcountry Alliance?1:06:50 – The Lake Run parking lot success story at the west side of Donner Lake. 1:11:30 – TBA founded a recreation-specific, grant-funded micro transit program to help alleviate trailhead traffic and raise awareness around the need for Lake Tahoe public transit.1:17:40 – The California State Parks SnoPark system – is it working? Meiss Meadows parking to access into Kirkwood when Highway 88 closes.1:24:40 – The headwaters of the Truckee River is Meiss Meadows, and the Meiss hut was the cabin Snowshoe Thompson used in the 1860s. Floating the Upper Truckee River in South Lake.1:27:50 – All about the challenges of Mount Tallac parking in Spring Creek and the new parking lot for Tallac access. 1:38:15 – How do people get involved and support Tahoe Backcountry Alliance? Donate at tahoebackcountryalliance.org.1:44:30 – What does Mind the Track mean to you? 1:52:45 – Pow Bot Scraper – the first Mind the Track swag coming soon!